Can-closing machine



June ll, 1929. H. L. BRYANT 1,716,618

CAN CLOSING MACHINE Original Filed Nov. 24, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet l ENTOR Wzl/W- BY-I ATTORNEY June l1, 1929. H L BR rANT 1,716,618

CAN CLOS ING MACHINE Original Filed Nov. 24, 1924 3 Shees-Sheefl 2 any INVENT R fi WL `lune 1l,

H. L. BRYANT 1,716,618

CAN CLOS ING MACHINE Original Filed Nov` 24, 1924 I5 Sheets-Sheet 3 mslm@ iff@ mmm l z v W 'A ATTORNEY Patented June 11, 1929.

UNITED STA-TES PATENT OFFICE.

HARVEY L. BRYANT, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 AMERICAN CAN COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Grilli-CLOSING MACHINE.

Application filed November 24, 1924, Serial No. 751,784. Renewed March 2, 1928.

My present invention relates to can closing machines adapted to close cans of square or irregular shape as well as those of the more common cylindrical form, and has for a principal object the provision of a seaming apparatus provided with improved means for moving the seaming rollers into and out of operative relation with the can.

I am aware that it is not new to employ cam action to cause the seaming rollers to follow the contour of the can being closed, or to use eccentric action to move said rollers into and out of seaming position. but I conceive it to be broadly new to lmove said seaming rollers into the sphere of seaming action by moving the pivots of roller actuating levers in and out during the. cycle of operations of the seaming mechanism to control the position of the rollers relative to the can whereby insertion and removal of successive cans and the seaming action thereon is accomplished, and it is to this feature that the present invention is pri marily directed.

The invention is perhaps of particular importance in closing machines adapted to operate upon square or irregular shaped cans, since the pivotal movement. of the levers, produced by a. suitable cam member in this case, is employed to cause the seaming rollers to follow the contour of the can and the movement of a central pivot point on the levers to shift the same bodily in and out serves to move the rollers into and out of seaming relation and to cause them to efticiently perform the seaming operation, thus requiring extremely simple mechanism to accomplish both these functions.

It will be understood that there are two general classes of closing machines employed for pern'ianentlysecuring a loosely applied cover to a can body by the double .scathing process` the one being that in which a can and applied cover are clamped between a supporting plate and a chuck member and then revolved on its own axis with the flanges engaged in curling rollers, and the other class being that in which the can and eoverare held stationary and are acted upon by a rotary seaming head carrying the seaming rollers and actuating mechanism therefor. I have shown my invention as embodied in the latter class of machine,

.though it will, of course, be understood that 1t is not limited, as to general construction of the machine, other than as defined by the terms and their equivalents of the appended claims.

A .further object of the invention is the provision of a closing machine, of simple construction and operation, in which the working parts are readily accessible for repair or substitution and are unlikely to cause mechanical difficulties in operation.

Another object is the provision of a closing machine capable of high speed production and consisting of meehanisn'i occupying the ,smallest possible space.

y Another feature of the invention is that bly reason of the use of eccentric mechanism for shifting the pivot points of the levers employed for actuating the seaming rollers, the cam following rollers carried by said levers are shifted longitudinally of their axes during their travel about the pattern cam and are thus caused to engage a larger area upon said cam, thereby decreasing the wearing action.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred cmbodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure l is a vertical sectional view of the machine, taken from front to back and showing certain of the parts in side elevation;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, taken transversely through Athe column of the machine and showing in plan the can feeding and discharge mechanism, certain parts being broken away for convenience in illustration;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail vertical section of the seaming head, certain parts thereof being shown in elevation; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of said seaming head.

In said drawings, I have shown, for illustrative purposes only, a preferred form of my invention, in which the reference character l1 indicates a vertical column, supported upon a base l2 and supporting the operating mechanism which will now be dcscribed in detail.

Iower is supplied to the machine through a drive pulley 13, carried upon a horizontal CTL shaft 14, journaled in bearings 15 and 16 in a gea-r box 17 at the upper end of the column 11. Said shaft 14 carries a bevel gear 18, meshing with a bevel gear 19 upon a. vertical shaft 21, having bearings 22 and 23, which are formed, respectively, in the bottom part 24of the gear box 17 and in a projection 25, extending inwardly from a seaming head casing 26. Mounted upon said shaft 21, intermediate the bearings 22 and 23, is a spur gear 27, meshing with an intermediate gear 28 upon a stud 29, having bearings 31 and 32 in the seaming head casing 26, said gear meshing with and driving a ring gear 33, carried by a seaming head 34 (see Figs. 1 and 4). Said seaming head is adapted to rotate about a central column 35, having bearings 36 and 37 in the seaming head casing 26, and said head carries seaming rolls 38, which, as shown and in ordinary construction, are four in number, two being first operation rolls and two being second operation rolls, adapted together to completely perform the wellknown double seai'ning operation. Said rolls are carried upon adjustable slides 39, secured by means of clamp screws 41 to slide blocks 42, Inova! ble in radial slots or guideways 43 in .the seaming head. The slides 39 are formed with apertures 44, slightly larger than the diameter of the clampscrews 41, and adjusting screws 45 extend through depending flanges 46 on the slide blocks 42, to provide for the necessary adjustment of the seam- 5 ing rolls 38, which latter are carried upon fixed studs 47 mounted in said slides 39.

Each slide block 42 is formed with upwardly projecting ears 48, pivotally connected at 49 to a link 51, pivotally connected at its opposite end at 52 to an actuating lever 53, which is pivoted at 54 to the seaming` head in manner which will hereinafter be described. The upper end of said lever carries a cam following roller 55, held in engagement with a pattern cam 56, feathered upon the column 35, as shown at 57, and held in vertical position thereon by means of a set screw 56, this construction permitting vertical adjustment. rl`he upper end of said lever is held in contact with said cam by means of an expanding spring 58, having its opposite ends disposed in recesses 59 and 61 provided respectively in the. seaming head and in said level'. It will be evident that as the seaming head rotates about the column 35, the levers 53 will be operated to cause the rolls 38 to follow the contour of the can, and it will be manifest that this movement may be controlled at will by substituting ams 56 in accordance with the form of the ans to be closed. Attention is now directed to the pivots 54, which, as will be noted, are provided by studs 62 having eccentric parts 63 upon which the levers 53 are mounted. Said studs are adapted to be slowly rotated by means of worm gears 64, meshing with a stationary worm gear 65, fixed upon the column 35, anti-friction bearings 66 and 67 being provided between said stationary gear and inner cylindrical portions 68 and 69 of the rotary gearing member. By this mechanism, the studs 62 are caused to rotate at predetermined relative speed with respectto the rotary movement of the seaming head to move the slide blocks 42 and 39 and therewith the seaming rolls 38 into and out of engagement with the flanges of the can, the seam being formed by said rollers acting in cooperation with a fixed chuck 71, threaded onto an inner sleeve 70 and secured by dowcl pins 72 to the lower end of the column The tightness of the seam, of course, may be controlled by the extent of inward movement of said rolls 38 and it will be understood that the rotation of the seaming head and the actuation of the levers 53 by the eccentric studs 62 are so related and synchronized that upon one complete revolution of said studs, the rolls are all brought into operation and moved outwardly to completely disengage the can seam, permitting the seamed can to be removed and replaced by the succeeding unseamed can and cover. j

rlhe rotation of the studs 62, by reason of their eccentricity, not only imparts lateral oscillating movement to the actuating levers 53, but also causes said levers to rise and fall, which action shifts the rollers 55 in their positions on the face of the cam 56. This action prevents undue wearing of the 'am 56. y

Referring nowparticularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the mechanism for positioning the cans and their loosely applied covers, preparatory to the seaming operation, will be described. A worm 73, carried by the drive shaft 14, meshes with a worm wheel 7 4, mounted upon the upper end of a vertical shaft 75, having an upper bearing 76 in the gear casing 17, an intermediate bearing 77 in the projection 25 on the seaining head casing 26 and a lower bearing 78 formed in a projection 79 extending inwardly from a can lift mechanism casing 81. A cam 82, carried at the lower end of said shaft 75, actuates a lever' 83 provided with a cam following roller 84 and being pivoted at 85 in the casing 8l, the opposite end 86 of said lever being formed with a yoke 87. arrying rollers 88 engaging in a grooved collar 89, secured to a vertical shaft 91, having bearings 92 and 93 in the casing 81 and carrying at its upper end a can supporting plate 94. Said plate 94 rests upon a block 95, secured by a screw 96 to the upper end of the shaft 91, a spring 97 being disposed in a recess 98 in the under side of said block and having its lower end in engagement with a collar 99 upon said shaft 91. The can is adapted to be lifted y andere by thel mechanism just described to direct the cover and the upper end thereof through a tapered throat plate 101 and into the sphere of action of the seaming rolls 38.

As the cans are delivered to the machine, they are positioned upon a rotating disk 102, mounted upon a vertical shaft 103, this disk being driven in timed relation with respect to the can lift and seamingmechanism and being adapted to deliver the cans 104 to a spacing and propelling mechanism shown clearly in Fig. 2,-by means of which they are directed onto the lift plate 94. A disk 105,

having spaced projections 106 cooperates with a fixed guide 107, mounted adjacent the disk102 to deliver the cans into position to be engaged by arms 108 upon a horizontally disposed conveyer chain 109, driven in manner to be hereinafter described to direct said cans through a runway 111, onto the plate 94. Said arms 108 are pivoted at 112 to alternate links of the conveyor chain 109 and have rear extensions 113 provided with .cam following rollers 114, disposed in a cam groove 115, formed in the under side of a casing 116 which is mounted upon and se@ cured to the casing 81. Said arms are thus adapted to be actuated by the cam 115 to cause them to engage and propel the can bodies as they are delivered into the runway 111, the outer Vends of the arms being retarded when the cans are positioned upon the plate 94 in order to give sufficient time for the lifting and seaming of said cans which are thereafter propelled by the same arms by which they are delivered away from said plate 04 and intoA a discharge' chute 117. It will be observed, also, that the camY groove 115 is so formed as to draw the outer ends of said arms inwardly as they pass the column 11, in order to minimize the space required for the apparatus.

The conveyor chain 100 is directed around sprockets 118 and 119, mounted respectively on vertical shafts 121 and 122, the sprocket 118 being driven by means of` a gear 123, mounted on the shaft 118 beneath said sprocket and meshing with a gear 124 upon a vertical shaft 125, which also carries a bevel gear 126, meshing with a bevel gear 127 carried upon a horiantal shaft 128, having a ,bearing 130 'on the column 11 and which carries at its opposite end a second bevel gear 131, meshing with a bevel gear 132 upon the vertical shaft 75 which is driven in manner hereinbefore described.4

The disk 102 is adapted to be driven by means of a gear 133, carried by the shaft 122 beneath the spr0cket119 and meshing with a gear 134 upon a vertical shaft 135, which gear 134 meshes with a gear 136 upon a vertical shaft 137, the latter gear meshing with a gear 138 carried upon the shaft 103 to which said disk 102 is secured.V

For the purpose of disengaging the seemed can from the chuck 71, a knock-out d1sk 130 is employed, this disk being carried upon a rod 141 extending through the center of the column 35 and being connected at its upper end, by means of a link 142, with a lever 143, which is pivoted at 144 to an upward extension 145 of the seaming head casing 26 and has an extension 146 connected by means of a rod 147 with a lever 148 pivoted at 149 to the casing 81, said lever carrying, intermediate its ends, a cam following roller 151 acted upon by means of a cam 152 carried upon the shaft between the bearing 78 and the cam 82.

1n operation, the cans are delivered in any usual or preferred manner onto the rotating disk 102 and are engaged between the arms 106 of the disk 105 and the fixed-guide 107 by which they are directed, in timed relationship, into the runway 111.- They are then engaged-by the spaced arms 108 of the conveyer chain 100 and propelled through said runway and onto the can lift plate 94, the arms at this time being retarded by the cam 115, in order to ermit the cans to be lifted and seamed anc restored to the down position, after which they are again engaged by said arms and directed out of the machine. y

The seaming operation is performed while the cans are lifted by means of the rotating seaming head carrying the rolls v38, which are'moved into operative relation and caused to .perform the seaming operation by means of the eccentric studs 62. In the event that the can is of irregular' shape, or square, as .shown in the drawings, said rolls 38 are caused tofollow the contour thereof by means of the pattern cam 56, which is held in place beneath a collar 153, feathered' to the column 35 and secured to said cam by means of screws 154, passing through elongated slots 154 in said collar 153. rlhe cam 56 is thus readily adjustable relative to the chuck 71 and is also easily removable to permit substitution of another cam adapted for operation upon cans of different shape. The levers 53, in so far as they are y employed for the purpose of causing the rollers to follow the contour of the can, are levers of the first class, actuated about their pivots by means of said cam 56, and in so far as they are employed to move said rollers into seammg relation to the can, they become levers of the third class, Aacting as a moving or force point, by reason of the rotation of the eccentric studs 62.

1t is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it .will be apparent that various changes may l from the spirit and scope of the invention,

or sacricing all of its material advantages,

the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

l. A can 'closing machine, comprising a can support, seaming rollers adapted to ac t upon the flanges of a can cover and can body to unite the same, medially pivoted levers connected at one end With said rollers for actuation thereof, a cam for acting upon the opposite end of said levers to cause the seaming rollers to followr the contour' of the can, and means formoving the pivots of said levers to bring the rollers into and out of operative position.

2. A can closing machine, comprising a can support, seaming rollers adapted to act upon the flanges of the can cover and body to unite the same, levers of the first-class connected at one end with said rollers for actuation thereof, a cam cooperating with the upper ends of said levers-to causesaid rollers to follow the contour of the can in seaming, and means for shifting medial' pivot points on said levers laterally to move said seaming rollers into and out of operative position.

3. A can closing machine, comprising a can support, seaming devices adapted to act upon the flanges of the can cover and body to unite the same, pivoted levers connected with said .device for actuation thereof, means for bodily shifting said levers longitudinally as theyturn into operative position, and means for causing said devices to follow the contour of the can in seaming.

4. A can closing machine, comprising a can support, a rotary seaining head mounted above said support, seaming rollers adapted foaet upon the flanges of the can cover and body to unite the same, roller actuating levers pivotally mounted in said seaming head, and means for shifting the pivots of said levers to move the rollers into and outof operative position.

5. A can closing machine, comprising a can support, a rotary seaming head mounted above said support, seaming rollers adapted to act upon the flanges of the can cover and body to unite the same, roller actuating levers pivotally mounted in said seaming head, means for shi fting the pivots of said levers to move the rollers into and out of operative position, and means for actuating said levers to cause 4said rollers to follow the contour of the can in seaming.

6. A can closing machine, comprising a can support, seaming rolls adapted to act upon the flanges of a can cover and can body to unite the same, medially pivoted levers connected at one end with said rolls for ac tuation thereof, the pivots of said levers being eccentric, and means for rotating said pivots to shift the levers and thereby move said seaming rolls in and out relatively to the can position.

7. A can closing machine, comprising a can support, a seaming roll adapted to act upon the flanges of a can cover and can body to unite the same, a medially pivoted lever connected at one end with said roll for actuation thereof, the pivot of said lever being eccentric, and means for rotating said ,pivot to shift the lever and thereby move said Seaming roll in and out relatively to the can position.

8. A can closing machine, comprising a can support, seaming rolls adapted toact upon the flanges of va can cover and can body to unite the'same, medially pivoted levers connected at oneA end With said rolls for.

actuation thereof, the pivots of said levers being eccentric, Worm gears mounted on said i pivots, and a gear meshing therewith for rotating the pivots of said leversV to shift the levers and thereb rolls in and out relatively to the can position.

9. A can closing machine, comprising a rotating seaming head, seaming rolls and actuated levers therefor carried by said head, eccentric pivots upon Which said levers are mounted, gearing, including gears movable with said seaminghead and a gear fixed withv respect thereto, for rotating said pivots as the seaming head revolves to move the levers and therewith the rollers in and out relatively to the can position, and means for presenting the can to the rollers for seaming.

10. A can closing machine, comprising a rotating seaming head, seaming rolls and actuated levers therefor carried by said head, eccentric pivots upon which said levers are mounted, gearing, including gears movable with said seaming head and a gear fixed with respect thereto, for rotating said pivots as the seaining head revolves to move the levers and therewith the rolls in and' out relatively to the can position, means for presenting the can to the rolls for seaming, and means for causing said rolls-'to follow the contour of an irregular shaped can.

11. A can closing machine, comprising a rotating seaming head, seaming rolls and actuated levers therefor carried by said head, eccentric pivots upon Which said levers are mounted, gearing, including gears movable With said seaming head and a gear fixed With respect thereto for rotating said pivots as the seaming head revolves to move the levers and therewith the rolls in'anil out relatively to the can position, means for presenting the can to the rolls for seeming, and means for causing said rolls to fellow the contour of an irregularshaped can, said means comprising a cam and rollers on said levers whereby the levers are turned upon their pivots.

HARVEY L. BRYANT.

move said seaming, 

